KUWAIT CITY, Sept 27: Ministry of Health has taken steps to implement the e-payment system in health facilities across the country, reports Al-Seyassah daily.
The Assistant Under-secretary for Financial Affairs in Ministry of Health Mohammed Al-Azmi said the sector will endeavor to activate the e-payment system at hospitals, health centers and health Insurance outlets via the K-Net service to prevent abuse of public funds in the current manual system of collection that results in inaccuracies and referral of many employees to the Public Prosecution.
He added the health Insurance centers attain monthly revenue of 5-7 million dinars and there’s need to monitor activities there, indicating the e-payment system will help reduce inaccurate periodical reports in the ministry’s revenue.
Meanwhile, cancer control centers in all GCC countries will be electronically linked with Riyadh-based Gulf Center for Cancer Control, Al-Mustaqbal daily quoted
Deputy Director of Hussein Makki Jumma Special Surgery Center and member of Gulf Committee for Cancer Control, Dr Shihab Al-Mahanadi, as saying.
He made the statement after the meeting of the committee in Riyadh. Al-Mahanadi said the aim of the meeting was to transform mechanism and objectives mentioned in the memorandum of understanding into an integrated working program and an executive working plan with specific stages to move along the Gulf Executive Plan for Cancer Control for 2011-2020.
He said the committee is focusing on preparing programs on the fight against cancer and other prevention and combat programs. Also, it will maintain a unified data base on cancer with the help of an electronic link between the GCC states and Gulf Center for Cancer Control in Riyadh. It will also support scientific activities aimed at improving quality of health service being offered to cancer patients.
Dr Al-Mahanadi said the final recommendations were prepared for the executive working plan of the Gulf Center for Cancer Control. The center was part of a project which the health ministries of GCC states had approved for combating and treatment of cancer.
In another report, the government has approved the construction of eight new hospitals in various governorates at a cost of 4 billion dinars to cover the healthcare needs of inhabitants in new residential areas, while reducing pressure at the existing hospitals, reports Al-Jareeda daily.
A source said the Supreme Planning Council liaised with Ministry of Health and the Ministerial Committee for Economy, Legal and Public Facilities to study the proposal alongside new international medical centers. He explained that the hospitals will be built to meet international standards to satisfy the desires of citizens. He also said four of the hospitals will serve new residential areas and will be constructed when infrastructure is completed.
He stressed the centers will serve as general and specialized hospitals, and one of them will combine several specializations to reduce the number of patients sponsored on overseas treatment. He stated that the hospitals will be completed within the development plan period by 2014, stressing the Council of Ministers realized the need for more hospitals, particularly in the Mubarak Al-Kabeer, Jahra, Farwaniya and Sabah health regions, due to growing population. He reiterated that Kuwait has not built new hospitals since 1980, and it’s necessary to build new ones of international standards.